Alarm clock having a touch type delay feature



L. C. BOWDEN Feb. 6, 1968 ALARM CLOCK HAVING A TOUCH TYPE DELAY FEATURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 10, 1966 M/mvroe. MT 6. Ban 00v,

wrazmzn L. C. BOWDEN Feb. 6, 1968 ALARM CLOCK HAVING A TOUCH TYPE DELAY FEATURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mam/me. M2 6. 5014 05,

Filed Nov. 10, 166

Feb. 6, 1968 L. C. BOWDEN ALARM CLOCK HAVING A TOUCH TYPE DELAY FEATURE Filed Nov. 10, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1/ l5 7 I x7 4/ II I I E 2 F 9J0 5 f 155' c: aomoav,

Feb. 6, 1968 c. BOWDEN 3,367,103

- ALARM CLOCK HAVING A TOUCH TYPE DELAY FEATURE Filed Nov. 10, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States ABSTRAQT OF THE DISCLQSURE An electric alarm clock having provision for giving the sleeper additional time, referred to as drowse, simply by touching the clock housing to actuate an alarm delay plunger at the base of the housing, and with final shut-off of the alarm effected by manipulation of a plunger at the back of the clock.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an alarm clock having a touch type delay feature, with the delay interval initiated by a light touch at the top of the housing, and in which the top of the housing is free of any button, bar, plunger or similar actuator characteristic of prior alarm clocks ofthis general type. Thus it is an object to provide an improved drowse alarm clock which'is more easily operated than clocks of prior design and which presents a clean and uncluttered appearance. It is yet another object of the invention to provide novel structure for sounding the alarm after a repeatable delay interval which is simple and inexpensive, capable of being added to movements of standard type with relatively minor modification but which is, nevertheless, highly efiicient and reliable over the life of the clock.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the attached detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, at reduced scale, of an alarm clock employing the present invention set for future ringing.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the application of fingertip pressure at the top of the housing to shut off the alarm and start, the delay interval.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of the clock train.

FIG. 4 is a simplified perspective view of the pertinent portion of the clock mechanism.

FIGS. 5a-5d are sequential views showing the alarm in set condition, the alarm buzzing, the eifect of pressing the clock to establish the drowse interval, and the alarm repeat at the end of the interval.

FIGS. 6a-6a are fragmentary elevations corresponding to FIGS. 5a5d respectively.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary top view showing final shutoff brought about by pressing the plunger.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4 but showing a modified construction.

FIGS. 9a9c are sequential views showing the alarm buzzing, the drowse interval set, and the condition of the mechanism at the end of the drowse interval for modified construction shown in FIGURE 8.

While the invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it will be understood that I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiments shown but intend, on the contrary, to cover the various alternatives and equivalent constructions included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Turning now to the construction shown in FIGS. l7 of the drawings, the clock mechanism 20 is mounted in a frame 21 enclosed within a housing 22 formed of plastic or the like having a base 23 which is intended to be seated atent on a suitable supporting surface 24. The clock includes the usual hour, minute and second hands 31, 32, 33 respectively (FIG. 3) cooperating with a suitable dial (not shown). At the back of the housing a setting knob 34 is provided as well as a shut-off plunger 35. Since the gear train employed in the usual A-C powered alarm clock is well known in the art, the common elements have been shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3 and, to some extend in FIG. 4.

The clock is powered by a small synchronous driving motor 40 having an output pinion 41 which engages a second hand gear 42 coupled to the second hand 33. A pinion 43 on this gear meshes with an intermediate gear 44 having a pinion 45 which drives a minute hand gear 46, the latter being coupled to the minute hand 32.

A pinion 47 coupled to the latter gear drives a reduction gear 48 having a pinion 49 meshing with an hour gear 50 which is coupled by a suitable shaft to the hour hand 31.

For the purpose of sounding the alarm, a buzzer blade 55 is provided in the usual form of a length of spring metal anchored to the clock frame upon a bracket 56 and cooperating with an auxiliary pole 57 formed as part of the pole structure Of the motor 40. For enabling and disabling the buzzer blade, an alarm control lever 60 is provided having a first arm 61 and a second arm 62 centrally pivoted in a notch 63 formed in a portion of the clock frame. The lever is biased clockwise (FIG. 4) by means of a biasing spring 64.

For normally disabling the buzzer blade 55, while triggering it for release at the pre-set time, an hour wheel 70 is provided adjacent to and concentric with an index wheel '71. The hour wheel meshes with the pinion 49 for rotation in unison with the hour hand gear, while the index weel is suitably coupled to the setting knob 34. To secure relative axial movement between the two wheels when the hour wheel '70 comes into register with the index wheel 71, a cam 72 is secured On the index wheel capable of dropping into a complementary slot 73 on the hour wheel. When the cam and slot are not in register, the cam serves to press the hour wheel 70 away from the index wheel. This causes the alarm control lever 60 to be displaced in the counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 4) causing the arm 62 of the lever to press against the buzzer blade to prevent the blade from vibratingin short, the alarm remains turned off.

However, at the pre-set time the slot 73 in the hour wheel rotates into register with the cam so that drop-Off occurs, permitting the lever 60 to move clockwise under the urging of the biasing spring 64, thus freeing the buzzer blade to sound the alarm.

In accordance with the present invention means are provided including an alarm delay plunger at the base of the housing, responsive to fingertip pressure at the top of the housing, for temporarily disabling the alarm for a short timed interval each time that the housing is pressed. More specifically in accordance with the invention, a pawl is provided cooperating with a gear in the gear train and disablingly coupled to the buzzer blade so that the buzzer is free to sound when the pawl is in its disengaged position and temporarily disabled, or silenced when the pawl is moved into its engaged position upon application of fingertip pressure to the housing, the pawl being progressivel-y released to re-sound the alarm by timed rotation of the gear. For present purposes, the term minute gear will be understood to include any gear or pinion forming a part of the clock train and which undergoes a readily sensed angular movement upon passage of a timed interval of a few minutes duration. Thus, referring to the drawings, a pawl member or gear segment is provided having teeth 81 along the lower edge cooperating with the pinion 45 which meshes with the minute gear 46. At its upper end the pawl member is pinned for free pivoting at 82 to a generally horizontally extending toggle link 83 having a shaft 84-. Cooperating with the first toggle link is a sec ond toggle link 85 pivoted on a shaft 86. Springs 87, 88 connected to the respective toggle links urge them into a normally downward position in which the pawl 80 is in mesh with the pinion 45. A ratchet spring 89 interposed between the first toggle link and the pawl urges the pawl in a clockwise, engaging direction with respect to the pinion.

For the purpose of moving the toggle upwardly incident to application of fingertip pressure to the top of the clock housing, a plunger 90 is provided which extends downwardly through the clock housing and which carries a button 91 at its lower end for engaging the clock supporting surface. The upper portion 92 of the plunger is bent over at 90 to provide a toggle coupling pin 93 which extends through registering elongated openings at 94 formed in the toggle links and in the pawl. The toggle link springs, and particularly the spring 88, bias the plunger 90 downwardly with sufiicient force so that the rear portion of the clock housing is supported slightly away from the supporting surface 24 as shown in FIG. 1.

It will be apparent, then, that when fingertip pressure is applied to the top of the clock as in FIG. 2, the reaction force from the supporting surface will force the plunger 90 upwardly, causing the toggle links to scissor upwardly about their pivots accompanied by raising of the pawl member 80. With the pawl member raised clear of the pinion teeth, it is free to swing clockwise, under the urging of the ratchet spring 89, into its overlappingly engaged position with respect to the pinion.

In order to shut off the sounding of the buzzer as the pawl is engaged, a cam surface 95 is provided at the tip of the link 83 which carries the pawl, which cam surface cooperates with a cam follower surface 96 integrally formed on the edge of the alarm control lever 60. Thus when the pawl is moved into its engaged or set position, the wiping of the cam surface 95 against the surface on the lever 60 causes the latter to rock counterclockwise through a small angle so that the arm 62 on the lever moves against, and silences, the buzzer blade.

A complete sequence of operation of the mechanism described above may be readily understood by referring to the stop motion views set forth in FIGS. a-5d and 6a-6d. Assuming that the index wheel 71 is set to initiate buzzing at a desired wake-up time and assuming that the plunger 35 is pulled out i.e. disengaged, the elements will appear, as the point of drop-off is approached, as shown in FIGS. 5a, 6a. With the hour wheel 70 pressed endwise by the cam 72 on the index wheel 71, the engaged lever 60 is rocked to its blade disabling position so that the alarm remains quiet.

However, upon reaching a pre-set time as shown in FIGS. 5b, 6b, the cam 72 drops into the slot 73 releasing the lever 60 which moves, under the force of the biasing spring 64, to its blade-freezing position so that the blade 55 is free to buzz. If the user desires to have a few minutes of additional sleep, he presses slightly on the top of the clock housing as indicated in FIG. 2 thereby rocking the housing downwardly toward its supporting surface. The

force of reaction causes the plunger 90 to yield upwardly as shown in FIGS. 50, 6c, raising the toggle and the associated pawl 80, with the pawl being lifted clear of the ratchet teeth so that it is free to swing clockwise into its engaging position under the urging of the ratchet spring 89. Simultaneously the cam surface 95 at the tip of the toggle link 83 engages the surface 96 on the lever 60, rocking the lever counterclockwise so that it again engages the buzzer blade to shut off the alarm. When the fingertip pressure is released, toggle retrogresses slightly under the urging of the springs 87, 83 seating the pawl teeth upon the pinion 45, as shown by the dotted outline in FIG. 60. However, because of the engagement at the teeth, the toggle remains supported in upward position and the alarm remains turned off.

During passage of the next few minutes of time, the progressive rotation of the pinion 45 gradually walks the pawl to its right hand or disengaged position corresponding to FIGS. 5d, 6d. Here drop-off of the pawl teeth with respect to the pinion teeth occurs permitting the toggle to collapse under the urging of the springs 87, 88 so that the pawl link 83 moves downwardly out of the way of the alarm control lever 61), permitting the control leverto move back into its blade-freeing position so that the blade is free to buzz. At this point the plunger 35 may be pressed inwardly for permanent shut-off of the alarm.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 7, the shut off plunger 35, which is preferably in the form of a flat strip of metal, has a longitudinal slot which accommodates a projection 101 formed on the rear side of the arm 62 of the lever 60. When the plunger is pressed inwardly, the projection is engaged by the approaching end of the slot thereby camming the arm 60 counterclockwise into its blade-disabling position. Conveniently, notches 102 may be formed in the upper edge of the shut-off plunger for engagement by the spring 64 to provide in and out detenting.

However, if the user desires still additional sleep, instead of pressing in the plunger 35 he may simply press downwardly again on the clock housing to silence the alarm and to provide a few minutes of delay before the alarm goes off, thus repeating the drowse cycle described above. The length of the period of silence before the alarm repeats is a matter of designers choice, being dependent upon the effective amount of overlap between the pawl 80 and the pinion 45. There is no limit to the number of times that the mechanism may be reset by a simple downward touch on the clock housing.

While the invention has been described in connection with an original embodiment, it will be apparent that the invention is not limited to such embodiment and that the construction may be modified as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9a9c. In considering this alternate form of the invention it will be understood that the housing and drive train may be the same as that set forth in FIGS. 1-3. Because of the similarities of construction corresponding elements will be identified in FIGS. 8 and 9a-9c using the same reference numerals as previously employed with addition of subscript a.

As in the preceding embodiment, a pawl member 80a is provided, having a pawl tip, or ratchet, 81a and bodily pivoted on a pin 82a mounted in the frame. The pawl member 80a is biased counterclockwise by mean of a spring 87a against a stop 84a. The ratchet has an associated ratchet spring 89a.

Instead of the pawl member having a plurality of teeth for engaging the pinion 45, the ratchet, in effect, is a single tooth which cooperates, in the present instance, with the minute gear 46a connected to the minute hand.

Just as in the previous embodiment, means including a plunger projecting from the base of the clock are provided for causing the pawl member to move from its disengaged position to a position in which it is everlappingly engaged with its associated gear, which then restores the pawl member to its initial position after an interval of a few minutes duration during which the alarm is disabled. This is accomplished in the present instance by securing the plunger 99a to a pivoted lever which is fulcrumed in a slot 111 formed in the frame plate 21a. The front end 112 of the lever is received in a notch113 in a vertically extending slide 114 having slots 115, 116 engaging pins 117, 118 on the front frame plate so that the slide is guided for vertical straight line movement. The slide is held in elevated position by a return spring 119. For the purpose of coupling the slide to the pawl member, the slide is provided with a projecting pin 121 which registers with an opening 122 formed in the pawl. Thus upward movement of the plunger lowers the slide to rock the pawl member clockwise. The opening is oversize so that the pin is effective to move the pawl in only one direction. Thus the plunger and slide are free to return to their normal posi tion when pressure is released.

In order to disable the alarm the pawl member has a cam surface 95a at its left hand end which cooperates with a cam follower surface 96a on the alarm control member 60a.

While the operation of the structure shown in FIG. 8 will be apparent in view of the above description, it will be helpful to summarize it briefiy in connection with the stop motion views, FIGS. 9a, 9b, and 90.

Referring to FIG. 9a, it will be assumed that the alarm has just gone off at the pre-set time by reason of dropoif of the cam 72a into the slot 37a, which releases the alarm control member 60a and frees the buzzer blade.

Upon applying fingertip pressure to the top of the housing, the reaction force upon the plunger 90a forces it upwardly, which, due to the central pivoting of the lever 110, causes the slide 114 to be moved downwardly against the force of the spring 119. This causes the pawl member 80a to be rocked clockwise about its pivot pin 82a, causing a ratchet 81a at the lower end of the pawl member to click over the teeth of the minute gear 46a into the fully engaged position shown in FIG. 917. At the same time, the cam 95a rocks upwardly against the cam surface 96a causing the alarm control member 60a to rotate counterclockwise into its blade-clamping position so that the buzzer it turned off. Thus pressing on the clock starts the drowse interval.

During the passage of the next short space of time, on the order of five to ten minutes, rotation of the minute gear 46a causes the ratchet 81a to be carried back in the direction of the arrow (FIG. 90) toward its released position. A point is reached where the ratchet is able to slip clear of the gear tooth with which it is engaged, under the urging of the biasing spring 87a, thereby restoring the parts to the condition shown in FIG. 9a in which the alarm control lever 60a is freed, so that it can, under the urging of its spring 64a, move clear of the buzzer blade, so the alarm is again sounded. The user can then press in the final shut-off plunger 35a or, if desired, the user can again touch the top of the clock for an additional drowse delay interval. Indeed, just as in the pre ceding embodiment, the clock may be touched any number of times to provide successive delay intervals. The embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is particularly well adapted for use in standard alarm clock movements and frames. The slide 114, being nestled closely adjacent the front frame plate of the clock, does not take up any appreciable amount of space. The pawl member 80a, being of a wideswinging C shape, avoids interference with the gears in the timing train, and the lever 110 occupies space not normally used at the bottom of the clock. Thus the valuable drowse feature is secured by addition of only a few moving parts and without adding appreciably to the cost of the clock mechanism.

The structure of both embodiments is inherently durable and can be expected to operate consistently over many thousands of cycles, easily for the life of the clock.

The clock, being free of any obvious means to operate the drowse feature, is uncluttered in design and the housing may, therefore take any desired form. Existing designs of housing may be fully utilized. The operation is simple and easy since fingertip pressure applied practically anywhere on the top surface of the clock is capable of producing the desired upward movement of the plunger.

In both of the disclosed embodiments a clicking type pawl is used cooperating with gear teeth on a minute gear or equivalent, either in the form of a relatively large gear or in the form of a small diameter pinion. However, the invention is not limited to engagement between a clicking pawl and gear teeth and if desired the engagement with the minute gear instead of being positive, as in the present embodiments, may be frictional and hence impositive, provided only that the pawl which is engaged shall be released upon relatively limited rotation, in a releasing direction, of the gear train member which it engages.

In the following claims the term plunger will be understood to include any vertically extending member capable of reacting with the supporting surface to accomplish the stated function. The term buzzer blade will be understood to mean any vibratory member used for sounding an audible alarm. The term pawl will be understood to include a tooth or gear segment which is engageable with the minute gear or associated pinion.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an alarm clock the combination comprising a clock frame, a housing enclosing the frame for use on a supporting surface, an AC. motor, an associated buzzer blade, a clock mechanism drivingly connected to the motor and having an hour wheel, a settable index wheel, means for sensing a condition of register between them, disabling means including means coupled to the sensing means for actuating the buzzer blade upon register for sounding the alarm, said clock mechanism including a minute gear, a pawl cooperating with the minute gear and movable from a released position to an overlappingly engaged position from which the pawl is progressively restored to its released position over a timed interval by rotation of the minute gear, linkage for coupling the pawl to the disabling means so that the buzzer is silenced when the pawl is engaged and freed when the pawl is released, an alarm delay member coupled to the pawl and projecting from the bottom of the clock housing into engagement with the supporting surface, yieldable means for holding the member in its extended position to maintain the clock housing normally slightly spaced from the supporting surface so that upon applying fingertip pressure to the top of the housing the reaction force upon the member causes the member to move the pawl into its overlapping engaged position silencing the alarm for the timed interval followed by resounding of the alarm after the timed interval, and a manual operator coupled to the disabling means for permanently disabling the alarm.

2. In an alarm clock the combination comprising a clock frame, a housing enclosing the frame for use on a supporting surface, an A.-C. motor, an associated buzzer blade, a clock mechanism drivingly connected to the motor and having an hour wheel, a settable index wheel adjacent thereto, means for producing relative axial movement of one of the wheels from a first to a second position as the hour wheel is rotated into register with the index wheel, disabling means including means for coupling the said one wheel tothe buzzer blade so that when the one wheel is in its first position the buzzer blade is silenced and so that when the one wheel moves into its second position the buzzer blade is actuated for sounding the alarm, said clock mechanism including a minute gear, a gear segment cooperating with the minute gear, a linkage for supporting the gear segment and for moving the same from a released position to an overlappingly engaged position from which the pawl is progressively restored to its released position over a timed interval by rotation of the minute gear, said linkage being coupled to the disabling means so that the buzzer is silenced when the gear segment is engaged and freed when the gear segment is released, and an alarm delay member coupled to the linkage and projecting from the bottom of the clock housing into clock-supporting engagement with the supporting surface, yieldable means for holding the member in its extended position to maintain the clock housing normally slightly spaced from the supporting surface so that upon applying fingertip pressure to the top of the housing the reaction force upon the member causes the linkage to move the segment into its overlappingly en- 7 8 gaged position silencing the alarm for the said timed in- 3,220,175 11/1965 Richmond 58-21.15S terval following which the alarm again sounds, and 2. 3,314,228 4/1967 Bowden 5821.15

manual operator coupled to the disabling means for permanently disabling the alarm. FOREiGN PATENTS 5 462,634 3/ 1951 Italy. References Cited 884,649 12/1961 Great Britain. UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,018,342 1/ 1953 France. 2 99 375 1 1 Graet 5 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. 3,127,733 4/ 1964 Robinson 58-21.155 10 M. LORCI-I, Assistant Examiner. 

